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Facts

Rock-borer
(2 specie in Swedish waters)

Rock-borer

Distribution
Distribution in scandinavian waters

Maximum length: 3,8 cm.
Appearance: The thick shell is oblong in shape, but otherwise has an irregular form. Black external ligament. The yellow-brown shells that get washed up onto the beaches are usually worn and attain a white colour.
Depth: 0 - approx. 700 m.
Environment: The Rock-borer lives in cavities like e.g. other empty shells, amongst calcareous tubes from the polychaetes and between branches in the wrack. They can also bore into softer rocks by scraping against it with their shell and slowly wearing away the rock. Quite often the shell can attain the same shape as the hole they sit in.
Misc: Rock-borers eat plankton that they filter out of the water. Two nearly identical specie are known in Swedish waters.
Classification: The Rock-borer is a member of the bivalve group under the molluscs.


Rock-borer     Other names


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Bo Johannesson | Martin Larsvik | Lars-Ove Loo | Helena Samuelsson